Self clutching captive closure cap unit



Aug. 10, 1965 P. JOVANOVICH SELF GLUTCHING CAPTIVE CLOSURE CAP UNIT Filed Feb. 19, 1964 INVENTOR. G11;

FIG. 4

United States Patent 3,199,751 SELF CLUTCIHNG CAPTWE CLGSURE CAP UNIT Pete iovanovich, West Valley, Anaconda, Mont. Filed Feb. 19, 1964-, Ser. No. 345,903 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 222-543) This invention relates to an improved captive closure cap for collapsible tubes and containers, and one of its objects is to provide a coupling between the closure cap and the neck of the tube or container which has an integral ring which will snap over the neck of the container and swivel thereon, and another integral ring which will snap over the lower end of the closure cap and swivel thereon, and which is made of a flexible plastic material, which will connect the coupling rings to each by means of a hinge loop adapted to permit of an indefinite opening and closing movements of the closure cap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a captive coupling for these general purposes, which can be compression molded from flat plastic material of the proper qualities at low cost, and which can be snapped or mounted on the closure cap and on the neck of the collapsible tube or container by a rapid manual or machine operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible tube neck with a pair of beads or external rings providing a retaining groove between the same and to provide the closure cap with a pair of similar external rings providing a groove between the same, and to provide the coupling rings of the plastic member with clutch rings having spring sectors and a beaded inner edge to spring or snap into the receiving groove of'the cap and container neck, so that easy coupling and easy and secure turning when coupled will result, and the closure cap can be turned to release it or turned to tighten it in place, with minimium eflort.

With the above and other objects in view the invention relates to certain new and useful constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a collapsible tube, showing my improved captive cap in closed position on the neck of the tube.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the closure cap in open position on the tube, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the plastic coupling strip.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view, taken on line 44 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the accompanying drawings showing the practical embodiment of my invention designates a collapsible tube, of any size and construction, and for use in dispensing any fluent substance, which is formed with a collapsible body 11 and an integral neck 12, having an external screw thread 13 thereon.

Inwardly of the screw thread 13 the neck 12 is formed with an upper or outer integral and external ring or bead 14 and a lower external ring or head 15, which are spaced apart from each other to provide a circumscribing groove between the same, indicated at 16.

On the neck 12 a closure cap 17 is threaded to seal the discharge bore or passage of the neck, and this cap is formed with external beads or rings 18 and 19 on its Patented Aug. 10, 1965 lower end, which are spaced apart to provide a circumscribing groove 20 between the same.

The closure cap 17 and the neck 12 are connected to each other by a pliable plastic coupling strip 21, which is constructed with a terminal ring 22 on one end and another terminal ring 23 on the opposite end, which are connected to each other by the narrow hinge strip 24, which is formed with a hinge loop or bend 25 midway of the rings, and with stiffening ribs 26 and 27 outwardly of this hinge loop.

The terminal ring 22 is formed with a central opening 22a, and the inner marginal edge 22b of this opening is formed with an integral bead 22b and the ring and this bead are provided with radial slits or cuts 220, which provide relatively yieldable clutch sectors 22 The terminal ring 23 is formed with a central hole or opening 23a and the marginal edge of this hole or opening is formed with a bead 23b and provided with cuts or slits 230, which are disposed radially, and which divide the bead 23b into relatively yieldable spring or snap clutch sectors 23d, which are designed to snap over the ring 18 of the tube neck and have a free clutching action in the groove 2%.

The terminal ring 22 can turn freely on the neck 12 and the terminal ring 23 can turn freely on the closure cap 17. This permits the closure cap to be threaded on the threaded tube neck and to be unthreaded from this neck.

The narrow connecting strip 24 is of pliable plastic material and will hold the closure cap in its open position, away from the discharge neck of the tube or container, as shown in FIG. 2, so that the contents of the tube or container may be discharged at will.

The closure cap can then be threaded on the closure receiving threads of the neck, and tightened to seal the contents of the tube against leakage or accidental discharge.

In this way the collapsible container or tube is provided with a closure cap which is always coupled to the tube or container, and which is always in service position to be unscrewed from or screwed to the neck.

My invention thus provides means for preventing the loss of the closure cap, and thus saves time and tempers, and insures better use of the tube contents, because the discharge neck can always be sealed to prevent drying out from evaporation, due to the fact that the closure cap is captive to the neck and tube.

It is understood that various changes in the detail dimensions and features of construction may be made.

Having described my invention, I claim as patentable:

1. The combination with a container having a discharge neck formed with a screw thread and a circumscribing groove inwardly of the screw thread and having a larger diameter than the screw thread diameter, a closure cap threaded on the screw thread to seal the end of the neck and provided with a circumscribing groove near its mouth edge, and a coupling strip of pliable plastic material having a terminal ring on one end which is formed with a central hole and a marginal edge having radial slits therein and a thickened beaded edge having a self clutching engagement with the groove of the container neck and provided with a terminal ring on the opposite end thereof which is formed with a central hole and with a marginal edge portion for said hole which is formed with radial slits and a beaded edge providing relatively yieldable sectors having a clutching engagement with the.

groove of the closure cap, the cap being freely turnable on the neck in either direction and being swivelled to'said strip and said strip being swivelled to said neck, the radial slits of each terminal ring extending through said edge bead thereof.

2. The construction set forth in claim 1, including a hinge loop on said coupling strip and a stiffening rib on each end of the strip outwardly of the hinge loop, the coupling strip being of V-shape when applied to said cap and neck.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,972,481 9/34 Gray 22030.6 2,760,683 8/56 Diether 222543 X 3,008,612 11/61 Gan-tel 222543 3,124,281 3/64 Stull 222-543 X FOREIGN PATENTS 544,487 6/56 Italy. 607,823 9/60 Italy.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A CONTAINER HAVING A DISCHARGE NECK FORMED WITH A SCREW THREAD AND A CIRCUMSCRIBING GROOVE INWARDLY OF THE SCREW THREAD AND HAVING A LARGER DIAMETER THAN THE SCREW THREAD DIAMETER, A CLOSURE CAP THREADED ON THE SCREW THREAD TO SEAL THE END OF THE NECK AND PROVIDED WITH A CIRCUMSCIBING GROOVE NEAR ITS MOUTH EDGE, AND A COUPLING STRIP OF PLIABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL HAV-ING A TERMINAL RING ON ONE END WHICH IS FORMED WITH A CENTRAL HOLE AND A MARGINAL EDGE HAVING RADIAL SLITS THERE-IN AND A THICKENED BEADED EDGE HAVING A SELF CLUTCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GROOVE OF THE CONTAINER NECK AND PROVIDED WITH A TERMINAL RING ON THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF WHICH IS FORMED WITH A CENTRAL HOLE AND WITH A MAR-GINAL EDGE PORTION FOR SAID HOLE WHICH IS FORMED WITH RADIAL SLITS AND A BEADED EDGE PROVIDING RELATIVELY YIELDABLE SECTORS HAVING A CLUTCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GROOVE OF THE CLOSURE CAP, THE CAP BEING FREELY TURNABLE ON THE NECK IN EITHER DIRECTION AND BEING SWIVELLED TO SAID STRIP AND SAID STRIP BEING SWIVELLED TO SAID NECK, THE RADIAL SLITS OF EACH TERMINAL RING EXTENDING THROUGH SAID EDGE BEAD THEREOF. 